Many computerised gaming systems have been proposed having a host and terminals, which may be remote or local, with different operating systems depending largely on the game being played. The broad general groupings are discussed below as a survey of the art.
One group is centred on horse betting using home or agency terminals. Home terminal systems usually use a teletext or teletext type interface to display betting and account data on the terminal and to input bets to the host often coupled with a control for television viewing. Data may also be transmitted through a telephone system. Betting inputs are simple, such a horse or horse couple number. Patents disclosing typical systems are JP 1-269157 to JP 1-269164. Agency terminals are broadly similar, but have betting slip reading and/or printing facilities. Patents disclosing typical systems are FR 2,368,092, GB 2,269,926, 2,262,635, 2,075,369, 2,028,558, 1,491,780. Such systems are not interactive; are not real time because of the delays in transmitting large volumes of data; have limited auditing and/or playback capabilities because of the large amount of data that has to be stored; and are not realistic in that limited information only is displayed on the terminal screens. Auditing and data storage is problematical and generally, if there is a fault, then a bet is voided. Such systems are restricted to one form of gaming only and use dedicated or special equipment; as such are unsuitable for general gaming purposes.
A second group, typified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,522 and PCT applications WO 92/10806 and WO 89/05490, are computer based lottery ticket distributing systems. Apart from providing systems for the practical demands of participants, such as selection verification, ticket reading, etc., these systems are primarily concerned with data security and storage. They are not interactive, real time, adaptable to other games, and of necessity use dedicated equipment.
A third group, eg. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,909,002, 4,339,798 and 4,467,424 concern computerised gaming systems that enable players to participate in casino games, like craps, roulette and keno, at terminals rather than at the tables. With these systems a game actually being played in a casino is displayed to a remote player via a television or dedicated display panel. Players place their bets via panels on the terminals. The outcome of the game and account balances for each player are stored in a central computer and displayed on each player's panel. The system and games being played are not interactive and a croupier enters game details as it is being played. These systems mimic actual games, are not interactive, require dedicated terminals, need large volumes of data to be stored and transmitted and, because of data transmission problems, are limited to local area use. Such systems are suitable for use in, and are believed to have been used in, hotel casinos.
A forth group, eg. U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,527 and 4,926,367, provide computerised interactive wagering, specifically playing poker, among a plurality of players. The system uses a central computer and dedicated terminals. Large volumes of data are transmitted between machines to display games and outcomes, so that the terminals are confined to a local area. The games are interactive as among players, but not as between each player and the central computer. The central computer does not simulate a game.
Finally there are so called "television (or video) game" systems which attempt to provide real time, interactive gaming. JP 2-295,338 discloses one such system having a host or central computer transmit screen display data to dedicated terminals via a telephone line. Telephone dial buttons allow a player to input responses. While the game is interactive, real time play is not achieved because of the time required to transmit the volume of data required to generate the screen images. U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,998 discloses a video amusement gaming system using a host and local dedicated machines for playing games, with a prize award pool being provided and awarded depending on allocation of prizes and outcomes of games. Fixed length data packets are transmitted between host and terminals which is inefficient and limit the width of the area of operation and recording of results is limited. With both these systems record storing is minimal and they are not appropriate for wagering.
Generally, while most of such systems as mentioned above concerned with wagering have accounting and auditing/security facilities, these are limited in nature largely because of the volume of data to be stored, the fact that data has to be stored continuously and the problem of errors. For example, to replay an event immediately prior to a fault, one has to store the position of the program being executed, which screens were showing, the state of the memory of the each of the host and each active terminal, and events or inputs leading up to that time of the fault. This is a monumental task, because one can never be sure when a fault is about to occur, and slows operation of each of the computers.
Most known systems thus default to voiding a game in the event of a fault, which is unfair if the fault is beyond the control of the player. On the other hand some system is required to prevent a player from deliberately defeating the outcome of a game.
This invention seeks to provide a casino gaming system capable of interactive, real time, realistic gaming at genuinely remote locations which is economical, secure and reliable. Aspects of the invention seek to minimise telephone line usage and cost and terminal costs; to enable a variety of casino games to be played in such a manner that a player experiences the same "feel", security, etc. as if he were at a casino; and to ensure that faults, deliberate or accidental, in communication and at terminals do not lead to abuse by players or the entity operating the host computer.
Fast, multitasking processing can be achieved by a single, large computer, such as so called "main frame" or "mini" machines. With known technology it is now also possible to achieve the same or even better performance using a local or wide area network of fast, relatively smaller computers each running a multitasking operating system. Technology in this field is increasing exponentially and it is not unrealistic to expect that within a short while a single "personal" computer or so called "application server" could perform substantially the same function as a current main frame. Thus, the terms "host computer" or "host" used herein are to be interpreted broadly to cover machines ranging from a single computer to a plurality of networked computers capable of performing the tasks of playing games; attending to record keeping, accounting, security and communication functions; and servicing a number of players simultaneously.
The term "simulations" as used herein means computer screen graphics, sound or screen graphics and sound that provide visual and optionally audible messages and representations to a player, such as instructions and game simulations.